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B.Y.O.B! Make an environmental statement and a fashion one at the same time! Bring Your Own BAG!
by Katy Cheesman
In an ongoing attempt not to “trash” the earth, many are choosing a more green (or blue or paisley) way to tote their groceries. And, it isn’t just confined to the newly, posh organic markets. Larger chain stores from Ikea to Target, and even boutiques, offer earth friendly options at a small fee.
The color and design choices are near endless, with prices ranging from a buck to a thousand dollars. Our friends across the pond in Europe made carrying reusable shopping bags, by such high-end designers as Hermes, an eco-friendly status symbol long before the trend hit the U.S.
We found one-stop green shopping, that is also budget friendly, at reusablebags.com. Here are our top five picks to help you reduce, reuse, and recycle en vogue.
The Green Side of the Story:
Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That is over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)
Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales, and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade — breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits, contaminating soil and waterways, and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest them.
Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.
Source: reusablebags.com
“…Say no to plastic bags. Whip out your own brilliant alternative. Make people stare. Break a habit. Set a trend." Sarah Mower ~ Contributing Editor Vogue Magazine
